A Sermon on Matthew 13:5-6, by Jonathan Edwards. The following is an excerpt from his work, Sermons On the Matthean Parables, Volume II, Divine Husbandmen, On the Parable of the Sower and the Seed.

Matthew 13:5-6. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
~ Matthew 13:20-21, Luke 8:13

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
~ Zechariah 7:12

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
~ James 1:11-12, Hebrews 6:7-8

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
~ Matthew 7:26-27

We have already considered one of those sorts of ground that the seed, that the Saviour sowed, fell upon, viz., the wayside, and what became of the seed that fell there.

I am now (come) to the second sort of ground mentioned in the parable, which is spoken of in the two verses that have been now read. And therefore, in these words may be observed:

I. The description of the ground. 'Tis said to be stony ground or stony places, where there is not much earth; i.e., the ground was nothing but a rock, excepting a thin covering of earth, which is one degree beyond the former sort of ground that the seed fell upon, viz., the wayside, which was hard both above and beneath, like a path that had been trodden upon so long that the very surface was become exceeding hard. But the ground spoken of here is a little different. 'Tis as hard as that, but the hardness is not on top; but underneath there is a thin covering or sprinkling of earth here upon the rock, so that just at the top of the ground it is not so hard, though underneath it is a mere rock.

(II.) We may observe how the seed grows, that is sown in such ground. It sprung up forthwith, because it had not deepness of earth, “and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.”

III. What becomes of that growth at last.

I would insist on each of these in their order, insist on the description of the ground. And from this, first, I would raise this Proposition, viz., that the hearts of some of the hearers of the Word preached, are like a rock with a thin covering of earth.

That which here in Matthew is expressed “stony places," is in Luke called “a rock” Luke 8:6, “And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered, because it lacked moisture.”

There are many of the hearers of the Word preached, whose hearts are like a rock with a very thin covering of earth. Because, however they have some superficial impressions made upon them and the hardness of their hearts are as it were hid, yet their hearts indeed remain as hard as a rock. And therefore in speaking to this proposition, I would observe,

First. How the minds of such hearers may be impressed and affected.

Second. That the impressions are superficial, and not deep so as to reach the bottom of the heart.

Third. That notwithstanding those impressions, their hearts still remain as hard as a rock.

Fourth. How their hardness of heart is covered and hidden from observation.
First. I would observe how the minds of such hearers may be impressed and affected.

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